Tate becomes a free agent after the 2013 season. He set career highs last season with 45 receptions for 688 yards and seven touchdowns.

Harvin's arrival has the potential to create better matchups for Tate, who is adept at breaking tackles, and for others. It's fair to wonder what kind of deal Seattle might offer him with healthy sums committed to other skill players.

The figures in the chart represent salary-cap charges. They reflect base salaries plus roster bonuses plus portions of signing and option bonuses. They do not necessarily represent how much cash a player receives in a given year.

The NFL salary cap is around $123 million this year. Seattle's spending limit is closer to $136 million after the team carried over $13.2 million in unused cap space from last year.

Drafting and signing good players allows teams to avoid absorbing cap charges for players no longer on the roster. That is one key to pushing forward unused cap space. Seattle also benefits from having Wilson signed to such a reasonable deal as a Pro Bowl quarterback.